2003

The Warriors blew a 12-point lead over the final 5:43 as they dropped to 4-3 in the division and 10-7 overall.

"We just didn't handle the ball in the last four minutes," ECCC head coach Bill Smith said . "With an 11 -point lead (74-63) with four minutes to go, you're supposed to win going away." After trailing 14-6 in the early going, ECCC turned a 36-34 halftime deficit into a 58-51 advantage with 10:24 to go following a 10-0 run . Jamaal Martin and Kevin Bobbitt both hit 3-pointers during the run . A 9-0 run off their stifling press put the Warriors up 69-57 with 6:15 showing. After getting a pair of 3-pointers from Kalvin Woods, Gulf Coast used its own press to put together a 10-0 run to get to within 74-73 with 2:19 left. Woods and Gerren Jones both had three~point plays during the Bulldog run. ECCC's Demario Quails made only 1-of-4 free throws in a 40-second stretch to keep the Bulldogs in the lead. Corey Hornsby gave ECCC a 77-76 lead with 37 seconds left, but Chris Moody scored with 13 seconds left on the fourth of Gulf Coast's shots underneath the basket to put the Bulldogs up 78-77 . After Redd Morgan missed a free throw with 2.9 seconds left, ECCC had one final chance to cover the length of the court for the win but was unable to get past midcourt. "We just didn't do a good job of handling the basketball at the end," Smith said. "Some of my sophomores that's supposed to know how to handle that pressure situation didn't. We let the same thing happen to us last Monday at Co-Lin. Maybe we'll learn from it." Brandon Brown then blocked Hornsby's shot with four seconds left. Woods hit another trey to put Gulf Coast up 76-75 with 1:48 remaining.

DECATUR - Lenore Gray led five players in double figures as the East Central Community College Lady Warriors knocked off Mississippi Gulf Coast 96-82 Monday night. ECCC moved into sole possession of second place in the MACJC South Division with a 5-2 league mark. The Lady Warriors are 11 -6 overall. The contest was tied at 57-57 with 11 :41 left before ECCC got a basket and two free throws from Ebone'e Leverette to take a 66-61 lead with 9:54 remaining. After Gulf Coast got to within 68-65, ECCC's Elyse Willis reeled off six straight points to put the Lady Warriors up 74-65 with 7:23 left. Two baskets apiece from Miranda Rosar and Tamekia Foley extended the lead to 85-67 with just under five minutes left as the Lady Warriors took their biggest lead of the night. In addition's to Gray's game-high 27 points off 11 field goals and five , free throws, ECCC also got 16 points from Foley, 15 from Britney Burks, 12 from Leverette, and 10 from Rosar. Willis finished with nine and Kimyatta Viverette added seven. Gray also had a game-high 15 rebounds. "That puts us in second to start the second half of the division," ECCC head coach Brad Hodge said. "That's a great position to be in. We played another balanced game. It was a very good team effort with five people again in double figures. "It's a different person stepping up every night and leading the charge with the other people following suit. That's what you've got to have to have a chance. It's a good win at home." Gulf Coast (1 3-5, 4-3) got 23 potnts from Jo/\nnn Williams, 13 from Monique Cowans, ancl 12 from Cllnstinn I lull Cownns olso lhld seven rebounds. Gulf Coast could get no closer than 13 points.

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Hornsby led ECCC with 25 points. Brandon Mason had 12 and Donzel Crenshaw 10.

Gulf Coast (9-9, 3-4) got 17 points from Woods, 12 each from Moody and Jeremiah Blackwell , and 11 from Jones.

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